Former Auburn swimmer Zane Grothe won the 400 free at the 2017 Phillips 66 National Championships on Friday night, punching his first individual ticket to the World Championships in Budapest next month.
Grothe, who swam at Auburn from 2010-14 and still holds all of the program’s records in the short course-yards distance freestyle events, swam to a 3:44.43 out of lane 1 in the finals to win the event, out-touching runner-up Clark Smith (3:45.91) by over a full second. He had the fastest splits for three out of the final four 50s.
“I consider the 400 my best race,” Grothe said.